Holding On
by belasgrl
Summary: Joey thinks her path is laid ahead of her, but life has many twists. This is the other AU for What the Future Holds.
1. Chapter 1

"I can't wait to tell everyone!" Joey said, excitedly. As she was about to go inside, Alessandro grabbed her hand.

"Wait, Joey. Let's wait to tell people."

Joey looked confused. "Why?" she asked.

Alessandro stumbled with his words. "It's too soon. Besides, we don't want to overshadow the party. Let's wait and tell people at a better time."

Joey looked at her engagement ring. She supposed he was right. There was nothing wrong with taking it slow.

"I better take this off so no one asks," she said, and he nodded. Joey took the ring off and put it in her pocket. She smiled at her new fiance, and he took her hand, and they walked into the penthouse.

"Ah, there you two are!" Mr. Peabody said, coming up to them. All of the guests were having a good time. Joey wanted to tell everyone the good news, but she restrained herself, honoring her fiance's wish.

"We were just talking outside, Daddy. I needed a break."

"I understand. Would you two like more cake? There's plenty left."

"I'll take some more," Joey said. Mr. Peabody had made her graduation cake, himself, and of course, it looked and tasted delicious.

"No, thank you, Mr. Peabody," Alessandro answered.

Joey got another piece of cake and chatted with Christy. They talked about Christy going to college to become a lawyer. Suddenly, Joey felt that pain again, the ache inside that reminded her life was going to be very different now. She tried to ignore the feeling for that moment and put on a smile. She didn't want to ruin the party.

Joey kept looking at Alessandro. They smiled at each other. They had an exciting secret, but Joey tried to focus on the party. It was all overwhelming for her, and she was somewhat glad after the last guest left.

Mr. Peabody started cleaning up. Joey didn't understand even after all these years how he had so much energy. Joey helped him. Thankfully, there wasn't much to do.

Mr. Peabody hugged his daughter. "I am so proud of you," he said. "You have come so far. I knew you could do it."

Joey smiled. Hearing words of praise from her father never got old. She wanted to tell him about her and Alessandro's engagement, but she decided against it. It had already been an exciting enough day, and she was exhausted. She went to bed and dreamed of the future.


	2. Chapter 2

Joey had absentmindedly set her alarm. When it went off the next morning, she woke up and took a shower. She got dressed and came into the kitchen, where Mr. Peabody was making breakfast. He smiled at her. "Good morning, Josephine. My, but you're up early."

"It's Monday, Dad. I have to-" Joey stopped, remembering. She didn't have to go to school. She just graduated a few days before. Suddenly, her cheeks turned red with embarrassment.  
Mr. Peabody saw her expression and said, "Josephine, it's alright. It will take a while to change your routine. Breakfast is almost finished. Would you like some?"

"I'd rather wait to eat," Joey replied. She went back to her bedroom and undressed, putting her nightgown back on. She laid in bed and tried to go back to sleep. Even though she was tired, her thoughts kept her awake. She barely heard a knock at her door.

"Josephine, may I come in?"

"Yeah."

Mr. Peabody came inside the room. Joey sat up. Her long, black hair was now a mess again. As she moved strands of it out of her eyes, her father asked, "Sweetie, are you alright?"

She didn't feel alright. The party and her engagement had been happy enough, but today, she didn't feel happy. All she wanted to do was lie in bed. Then, she got a thought: maybe talking to her fiance would help.

"I want to see Alessandro," she said, getting up.

"This early? He is probably still in bed. You can talk to me about what's bothering you. Is it the change?"

"I just feel…down."

"Oh, sweetie. Come here." He hugged her with open arms. His hugs always made her feel better, but she really wanted her fiance right now.

"Thank you, Daddy. I'm going to call Alessandro now."

Mr. Peabody nodded and left the room. Joey picked up her cell phone and looked at it. She hated calling anyone, even Alessandro; it gave her anxiety. Finally, she decided to text him instead. She asked if he was awake yet and waited a half-hour before she got a reply.

"I am now. Why are you up so early?" his text read.

Joey texted back, "I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. Can we hang out?"

"Yeah. My place in an hour. Mom and Dad are going shopping."

Joey replied, "Okay," then got dressed. She told Mr. Peabody what she was going to do, then she left.

When she arrived at Alessandro's, his parents were already gone. Alessandro was eating some cereal. She gave him a kiss and sat down at the kitchen table across from him. "I'm really glad to see you. I'm feeling kinda down today," she said.

"Why?" Alessandro asked, still eating.

"I don't know. I think it's because of the change of being out of school."

"I don't know why you would feel down about that. School sucked. I'm glad it's over."

"Yeah, but it was a routine. It was a constant, big part of our lives, and I kinda miss it already."

"Not me."

Joey reached in her pocket and pulled out her engagement ring. She put it on and admired it. "When are we going to tell people, Alessandro? It's taken everything in me not to tell Dad."  
"How about I invite your dad over, and we can tell our parents when mine get home?"

"That sounds like a great idea," Joey said, smiling. They kissed, tenderly.

Later, Joey called Mr. Peabody and asked him to come to Alessandro's home, and he arrived just as Alessandro's parents did. Mr. Peabody looked worried. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Not at all," Joey replied, smiling. She held Alessandro's hand. "Do you want to tell them?"

"Sure," Alessandro replied. "Mom, Dad, Mr. Peabody…Joey and I are getting married."

The couple smiled at their parents. Alessandro's looked happy and congratulated them, but Mr. Peabody didn't seem as happy.

"Daddy, are you okay?" Joey asked. She couldn't read his expression, but she could tell he didn't look happy.

"You two are still very young. Neither of you are even legal adults yet. You both haven't even started college. Are you sure this is a wise idea?"

Joey's heart sank. She was hoping her father would be happy for them. Instead, they were getting a lecture.

"But Alessandro is turning 18 next month, and I will in two months. And we've been together for 3 years, almost 4," Joey replied, defensively.

"Yes, I know that," Mr. Peabody stated, calmly. "I just want you two to think about what you're doing. Marriage is a serious commitment, and you both are just out of high school."

Joey was starting to get irritated. "We know, Dad, and we know what we're doing. Why can't you just be happy for us? We're not children."

"Josephine, calm down. We will talk about this later."

Joey felt crushed. What should have been a joyous moment was ruined. She held back tears, and Alessandro said, "Joey, let's go to the park."

Joey agreed. Before anyone could say anything else, Joey and Alessandro left to go to the park. Joey didn't really care where they went, as long as they were away from the situation they were just in.


	3. Chapter 3

Joey and Alessandro walked to the nearest park. Joey didn't say anything until they arrived. They found a bench and sat down and were quiet for many long minutes. Finally, Alessandro spoke. "That didn't go as well as I had hoped."

He said exactly what was on her mind. Although she fought tears, she couldn't stifle the cry that came from deep within.

Alessandro said, trying to be cheerful, "At least my parents approve. We have their support."  
"But we don't have my dad's," Joey said, choked up. "This is the first time I remember him not being supportive of me."

"You don't always need his approval."

"I know. Approval and support are two different things, though."  
"We will be okay, Joey."

Joey tried to calm down, but she was finding it hard to, especially after a baby nearby started crying. Joey tried to ignore it and focus on her own thoughts, but the piercing wails of the infant shattered her concentration, and she held her head in agony.

"What's wrong?" Alessandro asked.

"The baby….It won't shut up. It hurts."

"It's not that loud."

"To you, but to me, it's like someone screaming right in my ear, or like nails on a chalkboard."

"Sorry."

The baby wouldn't stop crying. Something in Joey's mind snapped. She sat, rocking her body back and forth, screaming, "Make it stop! Make it stop!"

"Joey, stop screaming. You're causing a scene."

Joey couldn't hear her fiance. She couldn't hear anything but the nonstop cries of the baby and her own thoughts about what had happened earlier. She was having a shutdown.

"Come on. Let's go if it's bothering you so much."

Joey's legs felt heavy as she got up. They walked away from the scene and sat elsewhere. Joey still held her head. "It wouldn't stop. It wouldn't stop."

"Joey, we're away from it now. Calm down."

"I can still hear it. I want my daddy."

"After what he did?"

Joey sat, rocking. True, she was upset at how her father had reacted to the engagement announcement, but that didn't change the fact that she wanted him near.

"What are you going to do when we get married and go to college? He won't always be there to help."

He was right. She had to pull herself out of this…somehow. She fought herself for a long while. Eventually, she was thinking clearly again. She looked at Alessandro, who seemed slightly annoyed.

"Are you feeling better?"

Joey nodded, even though she still felt horrible. She was able to stand up, and they spent the rest of the evening walking around.


	4. Chapter 4

Joey came home at 2 AM. She had gotten phone calls from her father, but she shut off her phone. When she finally came home, she saw that the lights inside were still on, and Mr. Peabody was sitting near the entrance, awake and alert.

"JOSEPHINE SAMANTHA PEABODY, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"

His voice sounded angry, but also scared and worried.

Joey walked past him. "What the fuck do YOU care?"

Mr. Peabody followed her. "I kept trying to call you, but you wouldn't answer! Where were you?!"

She whirled around. "If you must know, I was with Alessandro Carruthers, the man I am going to marry, whether you like it or not!"

"Why didn't you answer your phone?" he asked, trying to calm down.

"I didn't want to listen to your bullshit!"

"Stop swearing at me, Josephine. I was worried sick about you."

"You're the one who fucking started this! I don't give a fuck if you approve of Alessandro and me getting married! It's going to happen no matter WHAT you say!"

Mr. Peabody stood in silence. He looked at her with a sad expression. He spoke, softly. "Alright, Josephine. I'm sorry. I was concerned, but you are right. You are free to make your own choices. Just…be careful. And please don't scare me like that again. I feared the worst."

Joey looked at him. She was so upset and overwhelmed from everything that had happened, and suddenly, she just wanted to cry and hug him. She tried her best not to sob, but she couldn't hold it in. She sat on the floor and cried and screamed. She felt no shame; she just felt broken.

All of a sudden, she felt soft, familiar arms envelope her in a hug. She instinctively hugged him back. Mr. Peabody sat by her and cradled her while she let her feelings show. Finally, she calmed down. She heaved a heavy sigh, and he stroked her hair.

"I'm sorry I caused you so much distress," the canine said, softly.  
"It wasn't just that." She told him everything that had happened that evening.

He held her tighter. "Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry. That must have been horrible."

She nodded. She was starting to feel a little better.

Joey and Alessandro began planning for the wedding. First, they talked about where they wanted to have it. Alessandro wanted to have it at a church. Joey wanted to have it at the courthouse.

"Why do you want to have it at the courthouse?" he asked, as they sat in his room, writing things down. "It would make more sense to have it in a church."

"I wouldn't feel comfortable getting married in a church," Joey replied. "It would be really awkward for me."

"Why?"

"I'm an Atheist."

"What?"

"I thought you knew that."

"It's not something that comes up a lot in our conversations."

"Is that a problem?"

Alessandro didn't answer. He said, "Well, we have to choose a place to get married, and a church makes more sense."

Joey didn't want to argue, so she just nodded her head. "And we can have the reception at my place."

"Why?"

"It's bigger."

"We're not going to have that many people there. Why don't we have it at my place? Mom and Dad said that we could."

"If you want. What should our color scheme be? I'm thinking blue and black."

"That is a weird color scheme. How about white and gold?"

"Why not all four, or compromise? Blue and gold? Black and white?"

"Blue and white sounds good."

"Yeah, it does."

A few days later, Joey, Alessandro, and Christy went shopping for wedding clothes. Joey tried on different dresses of different colors. Alessandro insisted that she pick out a traditional white dress, so Joey tried on different ones.

"Have you gained weight?" Alessandro asked Joey as she looked at herself in a mirror, trying on a dress.

"I don't think so. If I have, it's not been much."

"All those dresses look too tight. You probably should pick a bigger size."

Joey looked at him with a strange expression, but looked for dresses that were a size bigger than what she normally wore. She finally picked a white dress out, and even though it wasn't exactly her taste, it was good enough.

Another day, Mr. Peabody, Joey, Alessandro, and Alessandro's parents went shopping for things for the reception. The couple couldn't agree on what to get, from the size of the plates to the decorations. What should have been a nice outing turned into a frustrating experience. To make things easier, Joey gave in to what Alessandro wanted for the most part. She ended up having a meltdown when she got home. Planning for a wedding, even a simple one, was harder than she thought.


	5. Chapter 5

July 28 came, and it was Joey's 18th birthday. She was going to have a small party at the penthouse, and she invited Alessandro, his parents, and Christy. Joey knew she should have been more excited than she was. After all, it was a special day; she just became a legal adult. For some reason, though, she wasn't that excited.

A few hours before the party, Mr. Peabody knocked on Joey's bedroom door. "Come in," she said. She was sitting up in bed, drawing.

Mr. Peabody smiled. "Happy Birthday, Josephine," he said. "I want to give you your presents now before everyone arrives."

"You didn't have to get me anything," she said, tiredly.

"I wanted to. This is another milestone in your life, and I wanted to help make it more special." He put something in her hand. She looked at it. It was two plane tickets to Florida. She looked at him, surprised.

"I want to take one last trip with you before you get married and start school," he said. Was she just imagining things, or was he smiling, sadly?

"I also have another present for you," he said, more cheerfully. "I found a doctor who will perform a tubal ligation on you. I know you had talked about getting one, so if you still want one, the opportunity is there."

Joey cheered up and hugged her father. "Thank you, Dad! I'd love to get one! And the trip is going to be amazing!"

Mr. Peabody hugged her, then he pulled away. "Josephine, I want to talk to you about something."

"Yeah?"

Before he could say any more, they heard the guests arriving. Mr. Peabody frowned slightly, but then smiled. "They're here."

He and Joey went to the living room. The guests came in, holding presents. "Happy Birthday!" they all told her, and she thanked them.

"Well, Josephine, would you like cake first, or would you like to open presents?" Mr. Peabody asked.

"Presents."

They all sat in the living room. Joey got a necklace from Christy that said, "Best". Christy showed her her own necklace. It said, "Friends". Joey smiled and put it on.

Alessandro's parents gave her some sheet music for the piano, and Alessandro gave her some art supplies. Joey happily thanked them.

Everyone went to the dining room. Mr. Peabody brought in a beautiful birthday cake. It had a lot of icing, just the way Joey liked it, and the icing was Joey's favorite colors. Mr. Peabody cut the cake and gave Joey a big piece. No one but Joey noticed Alessandro rolling his eyes, and her mood quickly changed.

"Thank you," she said, quietly.

As the others ate, Joey took a few bites, then looked at the rest of her piece. Mr. Peabody noticed she wasn't eating much and asked, "Josephine, what's wrong? You love cake."

"It's amazing, Dad. I'm just full from lunch. I don't want to get a stomachache."

The canine nodded, but looked at her, skeptically.

Later, Alessandro and Joey went outside to be alone for a bit.

"Are you on a diet?" he asked.

"Kinda. I'm trying to cut back. I need to lose some weight."

"You're right. You need to be able to fit in that dress. Have you sold any drawings yet?"

"Yeah, I have sold two, and I'm working on another one."

"That's good. That means you're becoming more hard-working and less lazy."

Joey nodded. She then cheered up. "Oh, I have some great news. Dad found a doctor who will perform a tubal ligation on me."

"A what?"

"It's a surgery done on women that prevents them from having kids. It's pretty much permanent birth control. We won't have to use condoms."

"Not like we've done it in the first place," Alessandro grumbled. "Why didn't you talk to me about this, first?"

"You know I don't want children, and I told you I wanted to get fixed."

"Yeah, but I didn't think you would actually want to go through with it. I thought…"

"You thought…what?"

"That you'd change your mind."

"But, you've always said you were okay with me not wanting kids."

"Well, yeah. Who would be stupid enough to have kids at 14? We're older now, and getting the surgery done would mean you could NEVER have kids."

"But that's what I want. It's my body, and I've told you I have tokophobia. I am scared of pregnancy and childbirth."

"If you love me, you'll have a family with me someday. Do you love me?"

"Of course I do, but-"

"Then don't have the surgery done."

Joey was shocked and hurt. She had never heard Alessandro say these things. She wanted to protest, but she didn't want to get in a fight, especially not on her birthday, so she just went back inside.


	6. Chapter 6

After the party, Joey went straight into her room. Mr. Peabody knocked on her door. When he heard no answer, he came in. Joey was laying down on her bed.

"Did you enjoy the party?" he asked, cheerfully.

"Yeah," she replied, gloomily.

Mr. Peabody immediately became worried. He sat on the bed beside her and stroked her hair. She didn't look at him.

"Josephine, what's wrong? You can tell me."

Of course, she knew that, and she wanted to tell him. She was feeling so much pain that she couldn't bear it anymore. She burst out crying. She screamed. "I'M FAT AND LAZY AND UGLY AND STUPID!"

Mr. Peabody was startled, but he pulled her gently so she was sitting up. He held her in his arms. "Josephine, you are NONE of those things. Why would you say that about yourself? You're beautiful and intelligent and hard-working."

"I AM NOT! I'M A PIECE OF SHIT WHO DOESN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT I WANT!"

She sobbed uncontrollably. The canine held her close and rocked her. "Sweetie, what has hurt you?" he asked, sounding almost as hurt as she was.

"Alessandro told me these things, and they're true! I am so ashamed of myself for not realizing it sooner! I've been trying to improve myself, but nothing I do works! I don't want the surgery! I want to be perfect!"

Mr. Peabody was quiet for a long time. Joey released all of her feelings. She rolled up her sleeves. There were cuts on her arms. She whimpered. "Help me. Please."

Mr. Peabody became alarmed. "Josephine…Oh sweetheart." He swallowed. "I can't believe he would do this to you."

"Do what?"

"Lead you to believe those things. He seemed like a nice boy."

"He is, Dad. He's right about me."

Mr. Peabody pulled away from her. "Look at me, Josephine." She looked at him with teary, red eyes. "You are a wonderful young woman. Just because you are with Alessandro, that doesn't mean what he says about you is true. You are not fat. You are not lazy. You are not ugly or terrible. You are wonderful, beautiful, loving, kind, and compassionate. Remember what I have said all these years? You are enough. Now, let's take care of those cuts."

He gently took her hand, and they went to the bathroom. Mr. Peabody lovingly treated her wounds and kissed them. "Now, as long as you take care of yourself, you will be alright. You need to talk to Alessandro. You can't go on like this."

"But…I love him."

"I know you do, sweetie, but he's not nice to you. He's hurting you. In fact, I'd go so far as to say he's abusing you."

His statement made her heart stop for a moment. She was being…abused? She thought back to all the things Alessandro had said to her recently. It didn't make her feel great or even loved when he called her names or criticized her.

"Please, Josephine, for your sake, do what is best for you. You need to leave him."

Joey started crying again. She didn't want to leave Alessandro. They had been together for four years. She didn't want to throw that away. However, she didn't want to go on feeling miserable. She needed to think about what she was going to do.


	7. Chapter 7

Joey needed help. She talked to her counselor about what was going on and kept talking to her father. As the date for the wedding got closer, Joey became more and more anxious. She felt pressure. She knew she had to make a decision before she would go through one of the biggest events of her life.

She thought about when she and Alessandro first met, how happy they were when they got together and how happy they had been throughout the years. She thought about the times they had laughed together, cried together, and leaned on each other for support.

What had happened to him? Why had he changed, and so suddenly? She decided to talk to him about it. One night, a few days before the wedding, she asked Alessandro to come over. As soon as he did, she got sick to her stomach from anxiety. They went in the living room alone and sat down.

Joey took a deep breath. "Alessandro, we need to talk."

"About what?"

"About us." She paused, trying to steady her voice. "You've changed. We used to be so happy, and you used to be nice and sweet to me. Now, you're…mean."

"Mean? How?"

"You call me fat and lazy, and you told me not to get the surgery done. You belittle me, and I don't like it. You've changed for the worse."

Alessandro frowned. "I'm not mean. I just tell you the truth. We're older, and you should be able to handle it now."

"You mean you have thought this stuff about me all this time?"

"Not for four years, but for awhile. You need thicker skin, Joey. You can't take criticism."

Joey tried not to cry. Along with having a sick feeling in her stomach, she now also had a sinking feeling. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her loving fiance thought badly of her and had for a while. All of a sudden, she desperately sputtered, "I can change. I'll lose weight. I'll have your babies. I'll work harder. I'll-" She stopped. What was she doing? She was holding on to him for dear life by trying to compromise. She was telling him she'd change herself for him, even make herself completely miserable just to make him happy, but he hadn't offered to do anything to make her happy. All he had been doing for months was criticizing her and acting like he had no faults. She had been letting him control her. It was at this moment that she realized he was no longer the boy she once knew.

"I can't do this anymore," she said, calmly. "I can't change who I am, not even for you. If you can't accept me for who I am, then the only thing we can do is break up."

"You want to throw away four years, after all I've done for you?"

"You're not the same person you were. It's like I don't even know you anymore."

"You only think that because you don't want to improve yourself."

"No, you're just mean now. You're asking me to change who I am. I've never asked you to change who you are. I accept you. You don't accept me. I can't be with someone who puts too much pressure on me."

"So, what are we going to do?"

"I'm going to ask you…to leave." Joey took her engagement ring off and gave it to Alessandro. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, me too. I'm sorry I wasted four years of my life with a fat, unstable, depressed bitch like you! Good luck finding someone who can tolerate you! And you can keep the ring!" He threw it at her.

At that moment, Mr. Peabody stepped in the room. When he saw Alessandro throw the ring at Joey, he became enraged. "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE RIGHT NOW, ALESSANDRO CARRUTHERS, AND DON'T YOU EVER COME BACK!"

Joey was startled. Never in the 5 years she had known her father had she seen him so angry.

"OUT! OUT, OR I WILL CALL THE POLICE!"

Alessandro yelled, "No need! I don't want to stick around this hellhole with you two anyway!" He left without protest.

The penthouse was quiet save for Mr. Peabody's heavy breathing. He was trying to calm himself from his rage. Joey ran to her room. Mr. Peabody sighed, sadly, but at the same time, he was relieved. At least his daughter would no longer be abused.


	8. Chapter 8

After Joey broke up with Alessandro, she would barely come out of her room. She only came out to go to the bathroom and eat. She lost her appetite and ate very little. Mr. Peabody carefully monitored her and urged her to take care of herself. He also took matters into his own paws. He locked all the knives and razors in one drawer and locked the medicine cabinet. Joey soon noticed these changes and mentioned it to her father. "I don't want you to hurt yourself," he responded, calmly.

"How am I suppose to take my medicine?"

"I will unlock the cabinet for you when you need them."

"How am I suppose to shave or cut my food?"

"I will get you hair removal cream, and you may use knives at meals."

Joey frowned. Her own father was trying to control her now. "You're acting like Alessandro now! He tried to control me, and so are you! You wanted me to get away from him, yet you're doing the same thing he did!"

"I am not," Mr. Peabody said, hurt. "Josephine, I just want you to be safe. I don't want you to hurt yourself. Please believe me. I am nothing like Alessandro."

"Fuck you! I'm not dealing with anyone's shit anymore!"

"Josephine, please, sweetie. You're in pain. I'm trying to help you."

"You can't help me! No one can help me! I quit! I quit school! I'm not going! I quit life! You lied! It doesn't get better! My life has become a living hell!"

Before Mr. Peabody could speak, Joey ran outside on the deck. Mr. Peabody ran after her. Joey was about to jump off, but Mr. Peabody grabbed her, screaming. She fell backward, thankfully not landing on the canine. Mr. Peabody immediately took her in his arms, holding on to her for dear life. Joey tried to push him away, but he just grabbed her tighter. She cried and screamed, and he cried with her.

Mr. Peabody knew that his daughter's mental illnesses would never go away. He also knew that right now, she was especially vulnerable. He had to be there for her. He wanted to do everything he could for her.

When she calmed down, he kept holding her, though not as tightly. "It will be alright, Josephine," he said, softly. "It will get better. Please believe me. I know it seems like it won't, but it will. You need to hang on and weather the storms. Have hope, no matter how difficult things get. It is worth it."

Joey heaved a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry, Daddy."

"Everything is alright. Everything will be alright. Just hold on and take care of yourself. I will help you. We will get you more help. Please don't leave. Please don't leave me."

He pleaded with her. He stroked her hair. He cradled her and soothed her, just as he had before many times. He knew that there was a long, bumpy road ahead of them, but he was ready to keep traveling on it.


	9. Chapter 9

A week before Joey was to start art school, she and Mr. Peabody took the trip to Florida, like they planned, only Joey was not as excited as she had been. Mr. Peabody did his best to keep her spirits up. She still had bouts of depression and crying episodes, but she was slowly starting to heal.

When they arrived in Florida, they immediately went to the hotel they were staying in. It was close to the ocean and had a beautiful view when they looked out the window.

"Look at this, Josephine," Mr. Peabody said, looking out the window. She looked out with very little interest. "Isn't it amazing? You'll love it."

Joey just nodded. She sat on a bed. He sat by her. She didn't see it, but he was biting his lip. He put his paw on her hand. "Josephine, I know you are still depressed about your break up. I know you loved Alessandro very much and probably still do."

"No," she said. "I don't love him anymore. All the love I had for him left before we broke up. To tell you the truth, I had fallen out of love with him after he started treating me like crap. I was just so emotionally attached to him and didn't want to let him go. I no longer have any feelings of love for him. It's just taking me a while to get over it."

Mr. Peabody nodded. His paw started shaking. Joey looked at him with concern. "Dad, are you alright?"

"Yes, sweetie," he replied, stroking her hair. His voice became softer. "Josephine, you know that love is an unpredictable, but wonderful thing."

"Yes. You can't help who you fall in love with. I wish I could have."  
"Some things are out of our control," he said, stroking her cheek. Joey looked at him. "We can either choose to ignore our feelings or give in to them. Most of the time, ignoring your feelings just leaves you feeling empty and miserable."

"What are you saying?"

Mr. Peabody stared at her with his deep green eyes and leaned forward. He gently kissed the corner of Joey's mouth. Joey's eyes widened. "Dad! What are you doing?"

"I can't repress this any longer." He held her hands. "Josephine, I love you. I love you with all my heart. I know who and what I am. I am your father. I am a dog. I am the last one you would ever consider being with, but…if there is any chance at all that you could love me, too, then I would like to take that chance with you."

Joey couldn't believe what she was hearing. This couldn't be happening. Her father, her own father who had fostered and adopted her, was now confessing that he loved her. He just told her that he loved her romantically. Her mind was flipped upside down, and that moment, her perception of him changed.

Joey was speechless. Mr. Peabody saw the look on her face and immediately looked remorseful. "I am so sorry," he said, sadly. "As you said, you cannot help who you fall in love with. I hope you will forgive me someday."

Joey couldn't speak. She was so shocked that she couldn't find her voice. Mr. Peabody said, "I apologize for ruining our vacation. We will go back home immediately. I will get us a flight home as soon as I can."

As he turned to leave the room, Joey suddenly cried out. "Wait!"


	10. Chapter 10

Mr. Peabody stopped in his tracks but didn't turn around. He closed his eyes. He knew she had now gotten over her shock enough to speak. He waited for her verbal response. Thousands of thoughts flooded his mind during those few minutes of silence. Above all, he thought he was a fool. He just ruined the relationship they had with one kiss and confession.

"Dad," he heard her say.

"Yes?" he replied, still not turning around.

"Don't go," Joey said, softly.

The calm tone in her voice surprised him, and he turned around. She was still sitting on the bed. She looked at him. He waited for her to speak more. The silence was agonizing.

"Dad, I'm not mad or upset. Surprised and shocked, yes, but not angry."

"You aren't?" he asked, surprised.

Joey shook her head. "I…I had no idea you felt this way about me."

"I am sorry. I will do everything I can to stop this. If possible, I'd like to salvage whatever relationship we have left. I was a fool for telling you. I should have left things the way they were."

"Dad, relax. Please. It's okay. I don't love you any less. Calm down."

Mr. Peabody tried to relax. Joey patted the bed. He cautiously sat beside her. "I…I don't really know what to say," Joey said. "Of course, I see you differently now, but I still respect you and love you. You have done everything you could to take care of me. You've treated me well, and…yes. We can try."

Now, Mr. Peabody was the one who was shocked. Did she really accept his offer? "Do you really mean that, Josephine?"

She nodded. She leaned toward him and hesitantly kissed his lips. He was surprised, but then he relaxed and put his arms around her. He held on to her, and she to him. That moment, they were both swept in the moment. Perhaps it was wrong, but it felt right to the both of them.

As for Joey, she felt like she was jumping off a cliff to dive into an ocean. She was thrilled. She was scared, but at the same time, she wanted this. She wanted to kiss him. When she looked into his eyes, she saw tenderness and love.

He held her in his arms and stroked her hair. Was it possible that he had a chance with this precious woman? Was it possible that they had found true love?


End file.
